


Do Murder and Lust Make Me a Man?

by CarrionStar



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, angsty, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-17 16:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5877910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarrionStar/pseuds/CarrionStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Risking his own life, General Hux follows Snoke's orders and saves Kylo Ren from Starkiller Base. Together with other survivors, they are confined to an undisclosed location while searching for a secure route that could lead them to Snoke. Secrets are revealed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was probably done a million times by now, but I could not resist the urge to join and sin. One more piece of trash in the pile can't hurt, right?

The ground crumbled under his feet. Snow hissed as it tumbled down newly formed ravines. General Hux panted in his stride, checking the beeping locator every few seconds. He would have cursed all of it; his orders, his job, the entire predicament he found himself in, but he had learned better. Better than a certain _someone_ he was risking his life for. The trees around him whined as they bent out of shape, torn from root in quakes that raged deep within the planet. The shuttle couldn't have landed amidst the thick forest before, but at the rate the trees were collapsing, that could perhaps even become possible in several minutes.  
  
Hux called the shuttle in a hurry and ordered them to be ready for descent at the moment's notice. He sure wouldn't be carrying Ren through the cataclysm happening around him. If he had even survived. A bolt of rage streamed through Hux's spine. _What was Ren thinking?! And why was it my job to find him?!_ The ungrateful spiteful creature that was Kylo Ren made every single nerve in Hux's body swell with anger. He was just Snoke's pet, and not very good one at that, not when it came to the _real_ goals of the First Order. There had been so many possibilities that would have ensured victory for the First Order, had Ren not been entirely disinterested to see that victory.

The cold seared through Hux's coat and he saw his own breath in the freezing environment despite darkness. The ground beneath him was still shaking. The ground behind him was disappearing at an alarming rate. Hux could not afford to waste his time being annoyed. It was slowing him down. He took one second to catch his breath and noticed a dark smudge in the snow in front of him. _Blood_. A tingling feeling told him it was Ren's blood. Or he just desperately wished it was so. _Do I?_

Hux shook his head and moved forward. If he returned without Ren, or with Ren's dead body, Snoke would undoubtedly disapprove. How much of the blame would fall on Hux? He was already expected to take responsibility for the failure of the Starkiller Base. If they were to lose a Force sensitive that Snoke went to great effort of training, influencing, _adopting_ , there was no telling if Hux would survive such a turn of events.

Following the trail of blood had been easy enough and it led Hux straight towards the black bundle in the snow, lying as if the world had already ended, unmoving. Ren must have been either dead or dying. Any sane individual would have moved by now, attempted to flee, or at the very least tossed themselves down a chasm to end it quickly. But Ren had never been truly sane. Not while he hid behind that mask, uttering frightening phrases with an inhuman voice. But in that moment, his mask was nowhere to be found.

Hux paced towards the black bundle and saw a tangled mess of Ren's hair, partially obscuring his face. Determining if he was alive was impossible just by looking at him. The general crouched and leaned closer to Kylo to check his pulse, but Ren looked sideways, facing Hux and startling him, prompting him to move back. Kylo Ren lifted his own arm in a painfully slow manner and brushed the hair away with a hiss, revealing an excruciating bloody gash running across his face. _Who had managed to do this to him?_

"I've got him," Hux relayed into his communicator. "Bring the shuttle, _quickly_."

There was a clearing not far from where they were stranded; trees ripped from the ground, the earth still shaking and the ominous sound of rumbling that signified the imminent collapse of the very planet they were standing on echoed in Hux's mind. Before departing, Hux noticed the lightsaber discarded on the ground and picked it up. Then he grabbed Ren by the arm and pulled him to a more upright position. He heard Ren's groans and felt a nauseating sting of compassion.

Hux helped Kylo Ren get back to his feet and regretted as the bigger man leaned on Hux with all of his weight. The general placed one of Ren's arms around his shoulders and tried to support him by holding his waist; the action that prompted the most painful of yells yet, making Ren lose his footing and Hux's almost with it. They barely managed not to tumble down one of the nearby canyons. Upon inspecting the hand he touched Ren with, Hux noticed a sticky dark substance shining on his glove.

_He had been shot! How was this man not dead yet?_ A part of him experienced a brief moment of panic. In order to ensure he was not carrying a corpse, Hux glanced at Kylo and saw a gaunt gaze staring back, seemingly empty, drained of will to go on. The sound of engines brought relief to Hux; a black silhouette was descending from the sky. His curiosity would have to wait. Kylo Ren was barely clinging to his life anyway, there was no sense in asking questions.

But Hux wanted to know. Needed to know. Kylo was annoying, grating on his nerves, true, but he was also fierce. Imposing. Capable. Who could have injured him that much? What had he even been doing? There was nothing in these woods worthy of being investigated or chased after. No spaceships to leave the planet on. What could have been so important to abandon the Base for, in the middle of an attack that brought ruin to the First Order?

_Foolish boy._ Hux imagined Ren leaving his post, chasing another one of his delusions. An act of either treason or pure luck, because the Base had faced collapse even before the entire planet felt the consequences. At the earliest convenience, he'd have to check all the reports about the events that had transpired, events that had brought such a tragedy to the First Order. Hux dragged Ren the last few steps towards the shuttle. The moment they stepped on the ramp, it began closing, with them still on it.

The shuttle made lift off just as ground beneath it was lost to the depths. They left in the last possible second. The structural integrity of the planet was completely gone. The shuttle struggled as it flew upwards, running from the explosion worse than anything any individual should ever witness. Hux didn't even get a chance to sit properly. He and Ren were left on the ground where the ramp had closed, with Hux holding both himself and Ren, making sure they remained in one piece while the shuttle rumbled and hell followed them from below.


	2. Chapter 2

The medcenter was overflowing with patients. Some more important than others. Some with heavier injuries than others. Hux was holding a datapad while rushing through the medcenter's busy hallways. The crowd and the intense lights and the painful groans, all of it irritated him. With an increasing headache, he slogged through the reports.

_Catastrophic damage._

_Amount of resources lost still uncertain._

_Death toll in the thousands and going up._

_Stormtroopers deserting._

_Immeasurable financial loss._

All of his achievements flushed down the drain. He had worked so hard to get where he was and it was all gone in an instant. Hux frowned and massaged his temples, then bumped into one of the injured troopers.

"I apologize, general!" the man yelled, hurrying to move despite crutches.

Hux nodded and continued on. _At least this one didn't desert_. He had put all of his efforts into proving that a professionally trained army, conditioned and taught to listen to orders would surpass clones. He had put even more effort into studying the failures of the Empire, in an attempt to learn how to avoid their mistakes. All in vain. The Supreme Leader had not yet contacted him. Hux wondered if Snoke was simply taking his time to come up with a sufficient punishment.

Angered, Hux skimmed through most of the reports on _catastrophic damages_ , searching for something that interested him more. There was no point in telling him that the damages have been catastrophic; any fool with even half a brain could tell it was so. He even skipped the report on stormtroopers finding their captain in a _trash compactor_. Rolling his eyes at such embarrassment, he searched through the datapad.

What had Kylo Ren been doing? Had he been given a special mission? Had his failure to fulfil this mission been at least partially responsible for the disaster? Hux found relief in a detached part of the medcenter; the intensive care ward. The hallway was dimly lit and somber, half a morgue. But in one of the rooms he walked towards, the best medical equipment was being used to patch Kylo Ren up. Just before entering the room to check the progress, he saw the desired information in the datapad.

A report about a Kylo Ren sighting in the oscillator just before the first set of explosions. _Alongside several Resistance members_. It must have been that girl that aggravated Ren so much, together with that foolish deserter. Had _they_ managed to defeat Kylo in such a gruesome way? It wouldn't have been above Ren to chase them for petty revenge, to get himself in trouble for a stupid cause. Hux moved through the sliding door with a feeling of anger and desperation. _Will the boy ever learn to control himself like a man?_

The waiting area with a chair separated Hux from the intensive care room where Ren lay in bed. Hux stopped mid-step when he heard a muffled voice coming from the adjacent room. He could not see inside, but he knew that voice. A chilly tone, deep and decaying. Snoke found it more important to contact Ren rather than Hux, and voice displeasure about the general's performance. Hux furrowed his brow when he heard the voice again.

" _You should have felt strength to defeat your opponents_ ," Snoke said.

" _Solo's pet shot me,"_ Ren spoke and Hux could not believe his ears. Ren's voice was trembling and had a distinctively higher pitch than usual, even without the mask. " _I almost had them, but the girl…"_

" _Your dedication to the dark side is failing. I can hear it. You may attempt to hide your grief, but I feel it. You have disappointed me_. _Killing your father should have given you the strength to become what I had envisioned you are destined to become. But you still care._ "

Hux stood close to the door petrified. He could not tell if there was a long pause in the conversation or if it had ended. It made him hesitate about entering the room. To be on safe side, he waited for a few minutes. During the wait, Hux mustered all of his strength to remove the surprise from his face and a knot from his gut. _He killed his father_. The thought dashed through his mind against his will. And, somehow, Snoke believed Ren's dedication to the dark side was failing regardless. That he still cared.

_And he did_. Hux saw Ren's look upon finding him. It was the look of a man who had experienced pain and grief beyond measure. The knot in his gut tightened, instead of disappearing. Hux stepped forward and the door slid open.

Kylo's room was dimly lit as well, just as the rest of the ward. The bed was in the middle, with Kylo in it, bandaged and tucked in. He did not react to door sliding open, nor did he turn to look at who entered. The right side of his head was in heavy bandages, covering his right eye. Hux approached from that side; Ren could not have seen him and did not try to.

"What do you want?" Kylo asked.

Hux stood the moment Kylo spoke. "I require your statement about the events to complete the report."

Kylo Ren slowly turned to look at Hux. "You listened in front of the door. I sensed you. That should be enough for your report," he muttered with a spiteful tone.

Hux could not understand the motive for spitefulness. It made his blood boil. It made his body tingle with the anticipation of an argument. He neared the bed, towering over Kylo for the first, and most likely the last time.

"I did not risk my life for this frivolous ingratitude. I could have left you there to die and no one would have known the truth. You were half dead as it was," Hux hissed.

"Why didn't you?"

Hux took a deep breath to fire a response, but found no words. Pouting in rage, he observed the sad, injured face before him. Ren's hair was no longer a mess; it had been washed. His uncovered eye showed weariness and it was red. Had he been crying? The thought of it conflicted Hux. It would've given him a great pleasure to see Ren in such a sorry state, but something inside of Hux felt genuine pity. _He killed his father_. Hux mustered his composure back.

"I've had enough failures already. No need to add another to the pile," he replied.

Kylo huffed and his face turned into a painful grimace. "That is all that matters to you. Snoke's approval."

"And it doesn't matter to you?" Hux asked with a snort.

"It does. It is pathetic," Kylo confirmed. Hux widened his gaze. "But you are free of him. Unlike me. You can leave."

Hux was petrified once more. Kylo Ren slowly slipped in a phase of blankly staring at the ceiling, then closed his visible eye. Did the meds untie his tongue in such way? _Did he advise me to leave the First Order? To desert?_ Hux could not do that. He did not want to. Ren apparently did, however. With this confession, Hux could go directly to Snoke and prove it once and for all that Kylo Ren was not fit for whatever Snoke thought was his destiny. He would be free.

_Free to be murdered_. Hux left Ren's bedside and approached the nearby panel on the wall. Clenching his fist, he hesitated for only a moment before confirming deletion of recorded material of everything that happened in the room since he had entered. No one needed to know what general Hux and Kylo Ren had discussed in the moments of Ren's greatest self-doubt and vulnerability. It would forever be Hux's secret.


	3. Chapter 3

General Hux despised being confined to an undisclosed location, hidden away in a small base with a medcenter and a hall barely large enough to house all personnel when they would gather to listen to his speech. Loss had a sour taste in his mouth. The taste of disappointment and despair. Hiding did not affect him well; his speech lacked fire and passion, and his words were a feeble attempt to lift the spirits of broken troopers and injured officers. As his words echoed through the hall, there was no response of any kind. How could have a tiny hangar, scrapped together in haste and filled with a sense of defeat, lived up to the grandeur that was Starkiller Base? It pained him to think about that particular tragedy.

He had spent three days attempting to assess everything for the final report. Talking to troopers with horrific injuries made him weary. Trying to deal with anger of officers and even the most insignificant of personnel from the Starkiller Base made him wish that he had been the one to perish in the attack. Each day, he would retreat to the dim solace of the intensive care ward. He took great care to be in Ren's quiet room only as they knocked him out with meds.

Not that he didn't want to talk to him. He was just anxious about what they both might end up confessing to each other. Anxious about treasons they considered when they were convinced no one could hear or see.

The first day he had gained courage to go there, Hux noticed that the bandage was gone from Ren's face. A gruesome scar was visible, cutting his face in half, trailing from the centre of the forehead and going down all the way to his jawline on the right. The medical report stated it had undoubtedly been a wound made by a lightsaber. Hux was aware that he would most likely never fully understand what had happened on that planet in the dark forest while the world was falling apart.

On his second day, Hux was working on finishing touches of his own report. Sitting in the chair with a view of Ren's bed, he listened to the deep calm breathing of the sleeping man. Picking the appropriate words to describe his own failures was tiresome. Every time he was met with a difficult phrasing, he took a glance at Kylo. Asleep, without the ability to worry, he looked peaceful. Free of pain.

Hux had arrived too early on his third day and needed to wait in front of the room for the confirmation that Ren was asleep. Impatience was eating him away and he had to focus on calming down. _What's wrong with me?_ With a tingling feeling in his stomach, he rushed into the room the moment he received the confirmation from the medical droid. Relieved to see Kylo asleep, he sat in the chair and took his datapad. In a moment, he changed his mind and put the datapad away. Kylo was sleeping on his side, facing Hux, and the general could see the heavy bandages that were wrapped around his body. The droid's report had explained it was a wound made by something bigger and stronger than an ordinary blaster rifle.

_Chances of survival: slim. Patient was very lucky to have lived._

Once, none of this would have meant anything to him. He had been certain in a victory. He had even glimpsed a taste of it, however brief it may have been. But when it all had faded away, he found himself small and insignificant. Once capable of destroying stars, now confined to a cage. With only one person who truly understood the burden of such great responsibility. The animosity and the competition they had once harboured amongst each other threatened to be transformed into something resembling compassion.

Hux came to a new realization. At the mention of Kylo Ren, his blood boiled for a very different reason.

He leaned in his chair, relaxed for the first time in what seemed like an eternity when Ren suddenly twitched in his sleep. Hux tensed as Ren began tossing and turning, unable to wake up, but apparently wanting to. Hux jumped to his feet and hit the emergency button on the wall panel. While he waited for the medical droid to show up, Hux neared the bed and hesitated. Kylo was still tossing around and groaning. A bloody smudge appeared on the bandage on Ren's side. Bad dream? Unbearable pain? _Both_? The droid clattered into the room when Hux grabbed Kylo by the shoulders in an attempt to wake him or calm him down.

The droid quickly shifted next to Hux and began beeping, examining the patient. In a few seconds, the droid administered something to Kylo. He first stopped tossing around and then opened his eyes widely. He stared at the droid and then at Hux who was still holding his shoulders. They looked at each other in surprise for a moment before Kylo's eyes filled with tears that he tried to push back immediately. Hux let go of him and turned to the droid.

"Go. Do not speak of this."

The robot listened and left in a hurry. Hux gazed back at Kylo who held his side, shaking.

"What happened?" Hux heard himself asking in a gentle tone.

Tone he hadn't used for as long as he could remember. Kylo Ren exhaled with a gut-wrenching moan.

"I dreamt of hell," he replied while several solitary tears streamed down his face. "It's Snoke. Snoke is punishing me. He wants to make me stronger. I deserved this."

Hux felt his passion returning. Passion to tell the subjects below him that they are superior in every way. To motivate them to conquer. "I don't care what you believe you deserved. You are going to survive this and I will aid you and Snoke will be satisfied."

"That's all you are interested in."

"I am interested in showing Snoke that we are not to be discarded just yet. And instead of our petty arguing, we should join forces and prove that there's still fight in us left."

Kylo Ren faced Hux. His face made it difficult for Hux to maintain eye contact. There was sadness of a broken man etched into his gaze.

"We have both failed Snoke. But that must not define us. We were there, in the middle of everything, while he still hides away and skulks in shadows, torturing us across half the galaxy," Hux continued, barely believing that he was truly saying those words. "The next time we stand in front of him, we will stand with our heads held high."

Hux saw the tiniest hint of a smile on Kylo's face. Just a soft tremble of his lips. It was enough to make Hux sigh with relief and be filled with the feeling of warmth he had forgotten even existed. As the tears slowly faded from Kylo's face, Hux dared extend his arm and touch Kylo's hand, but Kylo twitched in distress, as if Hux had touched him with a needle. Without words, Hux backed off and allowed Kylo to have some space.

He sat back into his chair and occupied himself with a datapad. He could barely pay attention to the words he was reading. The last thing he needed in those moments was the resurfacing of strange, forgotten feelings, but at last, he felt good about them. Hopeful, despite the failures and loss. Hopeful that the First Order would truly rise again, only stronger and more determined. That general Hux would rise again as well.


	4. Chapter 4

In the following days, spirit had returned to the lone hangar hidden on a desolate rocky planet. Hux walked among the injured troops, inspecting their progress. It was expected of him to report on it and make sure everyone was back at their hundred per cent as soon as possible. He could not speed up their treatment with any tangible means, but with his newly found eagerness, Hux delivered passionate speeches and encouragement to all. With the increased chatter throughout the makeshift base, it was apparent that it had worked.

One patient proved more difficult than others. After the initial success with Ren, Hux struggled to make him motivated again. He watched and evaluated Ren's progress from afar at first; observed him as he aimlessly strolled through the hallway upon being released from bed-only confinement. His torso was still wrapped and treated with the best medical equipment in their possession. Hux had even sent for more supplies, risking exposure of the remains of the First Order. The Resistance had been on the lookout for them, wanting to strike them down one last time.

The Supreme Leader remained silent, leaving Hux to deal with the situation alone. The general was entirely convinced that Snoke's silence had been meticulously planned as a form of punishment, the same way he was punishing Ren with nightmares. _A specialized torture for each of us_. Hux decided to not allow Snoke to get to him. He moved on with his duties as scheduled.

Ren paced in the hallway again when Hux went to visit and check on his progress. Initially in a hurry, Hux slowed the moment he had noticed Kylo who stopped mid-walk and hunched back. He held his side and stared in the direction beyond Hux, as if watching something only visible to him.

"It would be splendid if you could soon join me in one of the speeches. The troop morale would benefit if you appeared," Hux said in a formal tone.

Kylo's reply was slow. "Why? None of those people give a damn about me."

Hux took a deep breath. "You are a part of the First Order. Everyone has heard of your grave injuries. Do you think their faith in our victory would be high if even the powerful Kylo Ren, Snoke's very apprentice, succumbed to the wounds?" he asked. "Seeing you overcoming the defeat would give them strength. Inspiration to continue."

"I am not ready," Ren said and gestured towards the numerous bandages over his torso, left shoulder and right arm.

"With your attire and helmet, no one would have to actually _see_ the extent of your injuries. You would seem as if you had been healed entirely."

Kylo's face darkened and he made a step back. "I've lost my helmet."

Hux sighed. _He's slipping from me again_. "Regardless, I will soon request relocation to another base. We cannot stay in the same place for long. The First Order needs everyone back on their feet. There's a lot to rebuild."

_For example, you_. Kylo bent his head and his hair obscured half of his face. Then he turned and walked back towards his room. Hux understood what he had been through, or so he thought, but a spike of irritation streamed through his body. It quickly disappeared while he observed Ren's stroll. Hux came to a conclusion that, against all odds, he preferred Ren's violent and passionate outbursts to this deflated will and forgotten intensity.

He followed Kylo. Perhaps he had always preferred the same. Hux despised uncertainty and confusion, in himself most of all; being in denial was sweeter. There was security from being in denial. When the door closed behind them, the two men were left alone in a room filled with medical equipment. _Seeing something familiar may motivate him_. Hux reached into his coat and handed an elongated object to Kylo.

"Your lightsaber. If I hadn't recovered it, you would have left it there."

Kylo Ren accepted the lightsaber, but as he wrapped his hands around it, he dropped it swiftly as if it had been on fire. The object clattered and brought noise to an otherwise silent room. Hux raised his eyebrow and observed Ren. He held his head with both hands, fingers buried in his hair as if he wished to pluck it all out. His eyes were closed and his face in agony.

Instead of standing, petrified as always, Hux reacted this time, approaching Kylo, grabbing him just below the armpits and helping him to the bed. Kylo's entire body was shaking. Hux desperately attempted to come up with a way of aiding the broken man, for both professional and personal reasons. Kylo sat in silence, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Hux could not have begun to imagine what must have prompted such a reaction. He could only have assumed the lightsaber was connected to his misery. _He killed his father_. No doubt, it had been done with the very weapon now abandoned on the floor.

Hux touched Ren's arm and this time, he didn't twitch or flinch. The general moved Ren's arm away with care, allowing a view of his face. Proceeding closely, Hux gently pushed thick dark hair away from Ren's face and held his head. _This won't help him_. He hesitated for a second. _But it might help me_. A rush of warmth and desire overwhelmed him. Kylo tipped his head to face Hux and there was a soft sparkle in his eyes. He did not resist when Hux leaned in and kissed him, first in the cheek, then in the corner of his mouth, and then on his lips.

Both men trembled together. Hux ran his fingers through Ren's hair and felt his partner's cold body becoming warmer with each passing second. In the next moment, he felt Ren's arms around his own torso and cursed the thick layered clothing he wore. Ren's hands moved up and messed up Hux's perfectly combed hair. Instead of annoyance, the general felt delight. Hux slowly pushed Ren to the bed. The uncertainty and confusion were gone. And so was denial. He knew none of this would work in the long run, but for the moment Hux enjoyed ruling over Kylo Ren.

Hux gasped in the middle of a kiss when Ren wrapped his legs around him. Perhaps the whole mess hadn't simply been Hux using Ren's vulnerable moments for personal gain. _Perhaps_. Ren reached towards the light panel and Hux protested the lack of attention. He let go of Ren's lips and moved to his neck while his partner was trying to kill the lights.

"No," Hux whispered and grabbed Kylo's wandering arm by the wrist, moving it back down. He wanted to watch Ren squirm and gasp.

Kylo struggled for a moment, just enough to show his resurfacing intensity, but then obeyed and Hux felt deep pleasure that was sure to keep him satisfied in days to come.

The general could not tell for how long the encounter had lasted, but when he finally disentangled from it, he felt dizzy and content. He slapped his forehead and attempted to slick his hair the best he could before venturing out of the room. With a pleasant full-body ache, he moved from the bed and glanced at Ren. He was sleeping on his stomach, his face as peaceful as Hux could never have hoped being able to witness. _Maybe it helped after all_.

With a smirk fixed onto his own face, Hux picked up his clothes, cleaned the mess as best he could and grabbed the lightsaber from the floor. Not knowing what to do with the wretched thing, he left it at Kylo's bedside table. If Kylo wanted it no more, he should deal with it himself. Hux briefly stopped at the wall panel, accessing the options for recorded material, standard in medical chambers. With a push of a button, he deleted all that had transpired in the room, erasing it forever from all but his own and his partner's minds.


	5. Chapter 5

The rumble of vehicles thundered in Hux's ears. The temporary base was being evacuated. Piece by piece, shuttles carried supplies and people away, to some other undisclosed planet on the brinks of the galaxy. The First Order in hiding once more. Hux observed the departure of one of the final shuttles from the landing pad, frowning bitterly at the shame he and his compatriots had been forced to experience. As the shuttle disappeared from sight, Hux returned into the base to overlook the preparation of another.

That dull job was made more bearable when Hux allowed himself to slip back into his memories. He and Ren had shared no words since, only passing each other by in silence. Hux preferred it like that. At least while they were still dealing with dangerous situations of potential discovery and possible new battle. There'd be time to reflect on what had happened and if anything of the sort should happen again. For the time being, Hux rather enjoyed the fact that Ren had stopped sulking in the medical ward, returned to his clothes and even showed his face among the remaining personnel of the base. Whispers followed his footsteps, but Hux inquired every individual who spoke and was pleased to hear that people were either genuinely glad or at least very capable in hiding their true feelings regarding Kylo Ren.

General Hux instructed the nearby personnel on their orders for departure. Most of the supplies were gone already. What remained were the most grievously injured and their life-supporting medical equipment. Droids had been tasked with tending to the wounds until the last moment. Transport in crowded secretive shuttles did not provide the injured with the best chances of survival. Hux received numerous warnings about it and how the ground team in the new location needed to be immediately ready to receive new patients. His headache intensified as he coordinated several teams on multiple worlds, spending time encrypting and decrypting coded messages, double and triple checking the possibility of their interception by the Resistance.

He required a break. There were still his own possessions to prepare before they left. Hux dreaded the destination he was set to go to; it was finally time to deliver Ren to Snoke, as his orders have been in the last moments of the Starkiller Base. Finding a secure route had taken long, but Hux wished it had been even longer. As soon as everyone knew their orders, Hux moved from the hangar back towards the, now almost entirely deserted, crew area. His chamber was at the end of the hallway. Hux strolled towards it, passing by Ren's room without a second glance when he heard the door sliding open. He paused and turned. Kylo Ren left the room and two men locked their gazes in a brief moment. Hux felt an unnerving bolt crippling down his spine.

"General," Kylo Ren said formally.

Hux saw a vicious spark in his eyes. "Ren. The shuttle is not scheduled for departure for another five hours."

"You are mistaken. My shuttle leaves now," Kylo Ren replied. "My absence from Snoke's presence cannot be excused any longer."

General Hux gazed in perplexity. "I have not been informed of this. I am not yet ready for departure."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you fail to understand?" Ren quipped. Hux shot him with a frown. "I am going to Snoke. You are going elsewhere. My training needs to be completed and that is something you cannot aid me with or interfere."

Hux suddenly felt like he had been the one who had been used. Ren was no longer hunched and reserved; he showed off his full height and strength. The scar on his face made him more frightening and there was not a trace of the earlier weakness. A lightsaber dangled from his belt.

"Snoke promised you more power. Again," Hux stated. "And you immediately run back to him."

Ren smirked. Perhaps those irritating smirks had been a staple under his helmet, but this time Hux could see it. "Those are my orders, general. Are you not interested in following orders from Supreme Leader Snoke?" Hux wanted to interrupt, but Ren raised his arm. "But I will not be… How did you say it? _Frivolously ungrateful._ You served well."

Hux cursed the moment he had considered Ren could be his own asset and ally, instead of Snoke's. But Supreme Leader's dark grip over Ren had been too strong. Kylo Ren made his choice. Hux scoffed. _I should have simply hated him_.

"Farewell, then. I wish your training and mission will contribute to the First Order's eventual triumph," Hux said, keeping his dignity. He nodded courtly. "Until we meet again."

A brief remnant of sorrow flashed across Ren's face before he donned the hood, turned and left. _Foolish boy_. Snoke's darkness would eventually swallow him whole, Hux was sure of it. Snoke needed him unstable and unloved. Perhaps due to Snoke's disgusting tendency to prod into Ren's head, the events that had happened between the two men had not remained confined to their minds alone. A hint of sorrow Hux had noticed in his partner's gaze perhaps spoke of Ren's regret regarding his compliance to Snoke's wishes.

The general scoffed again. He would have expected more than a hint. He _deserved_ more than a hint. With a frown, he returned to his own room where he watched the departure of Ren's shuttle on the screen. He _could_ have ordered the shuttle to be tracked, but he maintained his composure. _For my sanity's sake, I don't want to know where he is_.

Half the galaxy would stand between them and perhaps it was for the best.


End file.
